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With critical federal oversight, major police reforms and improved police-community relations were made. It didn't happen quickly and it didn't happen easily, but it happened.

Voices here that are still helping to guide the community are speaking up about how Ferguson could benefit from the Cincinnati approach.

"Police community relations reforms -- real reforms," State Representative Alicia Reece said. "We've dealt with it here in Cincinnati. It was tough, but we came together. Not to say that we're perfect, but that could be a model that could possibly be utilized."

Some say there are some hard truths that need to be faced first, like how the starting point for Ferguson's unraveling began with Michael Brown's shoplifting and was compounded by the officer's tactical error.

Having made that point, Thomas made another and wants young people take it to heart.

"If an officer asks you to do something, just do it," Thomas said. "You cannot win an engagement with a police officer. Whether you believe it's right or wrong, you cannot win that in a battle on the streets."

Reece said she’s heard from numerous young people in the past 24 hours and worries where all the distress is headed.

"First thing we’ve got to do is try to restore some faith in the system," Reece said.

Reece said she sees no quick fix, but has already eyed some low-hanging fruit.

The John Crawford law she is introducing would require air rifles and airsoft guns sold in Ohio to be brightly-colored or have fluorescent markings.

She also said there needs to be more African-American prosecutors at the county level.

"I know that's tough to get elected," she said. "Maybe we need to look at a different system."

As we look, many say there are uncomfortable truths we fail to fully confront.

"You know, we raise different questions," Pastor Damon Lynch III told WLWT’s John London. "Black people say, ‘Why are they shooting?’ White people say, ‘Why did he run?’"

Lynch grew up in an integrated setting, but senses much of America has re-segregated.

"If blacks and whites could not only see it, but see it through the same lens, that’s called synoptic vision. That tends to make a difference," Lynch said.

Lynch joined a late-afternoon rally in front of the federal courthouse in Cincinnati on Tuesday. The "Hands Up For Justice" rally was sponsored by the Greater Cincinnati chapter of the National Action Network and is designed to keep the push for change front and center.

Lynch noted the prosecutor in Ferguson made it a point to encourage peaceful protest.

"(He) talked about the need to keep the pressure on. He talked about the need to continue to protest. He talked about the need to come up with some concrete actions to change how policing is done, to change the relations between police and community in the St. Louis area, and on that I agree with him," Lynch said.

On Tuesday, Marc H. Morial, president & CEO of the National Urban League, released a statement on the Ferguson grand jury’s decision. Click here to read it in full.